Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing system, a cloud server, an image processing device, and a program, and more particularly, to a technology for causing a cloud server and an image processing device to cooperate with each other.
Description of the Related Art
There has been a system that enables a server and an image processing device such as MFP (Multi-Function Peripherals) to perform image processing in cooperation with each other. According to JP 2008-83740 A, for example, second authentication information for using a server and first authentication information for using an image processing device are associated with each other, and are managed by the image processing device. After authenticating a user with the first authentication information, the image processing device issues an authentication request to the server, using the second authentication information associated with the first authentication information. By doing so, the image processing device cooperates with the server.
Meanwhile, a cloud server provided on the Internet these days can execute a job by cooperating with an image processing device provided in a local environment such as an office. For example, a cloud server can acquire, via a network, image data generated by an image processing device executing a scan job, and store the image data into the folder of the user who has instructed the image processing device to execute the scan job. In accordance with a print instruction from a user, a cloud server can also transmit the image data stored in the folder of the user to an image processing device, and cause the image processing device to execute a print job.
However, user information such as user IDs being managed by a cloud server is normally different from user information for using an image processing device installed in a local environment such as an office. To execute a job in cooperation with an image processing device, a cloud server needs to convert the user information registered in the image processing device into the user information registered in the cloud server, or convert the user information registered in the cloud server into the user information registered in the image processing device. Therefore, the user information registered in the image processing device and the user information registered in the cloud server need to be associated with each other beforehand and be managed in the associated state, as disclosed in JP 2008-83740 A.
When all the workers at an office starts using a cloud server at once, for example, a large amount of labor is required in associating the user information about all the workers registered in the cloud server with the user information about all the workers registered beforehand in an image processing device. If such a task is assigned to the manager of the image processing device, the work load on the manager becomes extremely large. In such a case, it is difficult for the manager to efficiently work, and the manager is likely to make mistakes, resulting in a possibility of a wrong associating operation.
In view of this, there is a demand for a technique for associating user information registered in a cloud server with user information in an image processing device, without any increase in the work load on the manager of the image processing device at the start of use of the cloud server. According to an example of such a method, each individual user of an image processing device performs an operation to associate the user information registered in a cloud server and the user information for using the image processing device with each other, for example. However, some of the users might find it troublesome to do such a task, and therefore, put off doing it. Some of the users might perform wrong associating operations. Further, if the task is assigned to each individual user, the manager might receive numerous inquiries, and the work load on the manager will not be effectively reduced.